Of Dust And Bones
by xxrosethorn
Summary: Skuld was the Ark's recordkeeper, in charge of remembering the events of both past and present. But when she learns that the person she cares about the most is being sent down with 99 other delinquents to a radiation-soaked Earth, Skuld sacrifices everything in hopes of protecting the one person that matters.
1. 001 - RADIOACTIVE

Scientists never guessed. A guess was uneducated, without any reasoning or logic to support it. No, scientists _theorized_. Scientists had theorized that Earth wasn't survivable for another one hundred years.

The thing about theories is that no matter how much data or evidence claims to prove it, ultimately, you can only learn the truth via experimentation. With no other options, at least according to the Council, the Ark was out of time and out of energy. If they could lighten the load just ever so slightly, it might buy them enough time to find a real solution.

So 100 adolescents became the subjects of an undoubtedly fatal experiment: send them down to Earth and hope they survive.

Even when scientists predicted that humans wouldn't be able to survive for one hundred more years. The odds were certainly stacked against them, but let's look at the bright side: _nothing has been proven one way or the other_.

Skuld's clearance was not to be taken for granted. As a recordkeeper, she was privy to knowledge that a majority of the people on the Ark had no clue about. It also gave her access to editing the information rather easily. No hacking necessary.

Therefore, it had been a breeze to gain entrance to the dropship, especially when she knew the exact time the delinquents would be loaded. She was about to sacrifice everything, quite possibly her life, for this moment. And for what? To protect one boy who didn't even know how important to her he was?

The members of the Guard rushed the teens into the dropship, not even sparing a glance to see what was actually inside the said ship. They didn't care that this dropship was archaic and could possibly kill these children should it malfunction. They didn't bother to look to see if anyone was attempting to sneak on (who would want to risk their lives like that anyway).

Skuld remained hidden until she was sure that all of the 100 juveniles had boarded and the Guard had no longer any reason to lurk around. She could hear the door lock into place as it claimed to be strong enough to survive a landing from space onto Earth in one piece.

She took one of the empty seats, buckled herself in securely, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _Everything is going to be fine_, she told herself. _Nothing is going to go wrong and we will all survive the journey back to Earth._

_Back home_. Despite the deep breathing and the repeated self-assurances, Skuld did not believe everything would be okay. Humanity's track record spoke for itself.

The systems hummed to life as a pre-recorded message from the Chancellor played in the background. She tried to focus on the sound of his voice rather than the jittering of the dropship.

"_Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself." _

Lies. All lies. Here Jaha was trying to save face, trying to make it seem like he was the good guy. Like he wasn't sentencing children to their deaths. At least if you were floated, death was instant and painless. Earth couldn't guarantee that luxury.

"_We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable." _All good lies have some truth to them. At least Jaha admitted that these kids were chosen simply because of their crimes, as unfair as that may sound.

Skuld had spent most of her life studying the past and humanity's afflictions upon each other. Humanity had a terrible track record for causing suffering and pain on others and Skuld felt like this was a continuation of that ongoing cycle. _But if I could protect just his life, then I would sacrifice everything_, Skuld had decided. It was a decision she had made long ago and Skuld was not one to break her promises.

"You're dad is a dick, Wells," one of the juveniles shouted. Some laughed and agreed. Skuld perked at hearing Wells's name. Why would the chancellor's son be on the dropship? He had no criminal record, at least, not since she last checked the list of registered delinquents.

_But Clarke was here_, she recalled. _And the boy is extremely fond of her_. As one who consistently interacted with the Council to receive weekly reports, Skuld occasionally crossed paths with Council's kids, particularly Wells Jaha and Clarke Griffin until the latter had been sent to the skybox almost a year ago. They were close friends from what she noticed. It would explain Wells's determination to board the dropship. It was of similar reasoning to her own. _What you do for those you love_.

The unreliable shaking intensified and sparks flew. The kids looked panicked, some screamed in surprise and fear. Another deep breath. Skuld was the oldest one here and she needed to remain strong. If in the unlikely event that they survived the landing, these teenagers would need an adult, a leader to guide them. Skuld had never been one to be a leader. One of the reasons she became a recordkeeper in the first place was so that she could just follow orders and remember.

She hoped there were some mature and level-headed kids here that could take on some leadership responsibilities instead of her. She may have a perfect memory, but all the knowledge in the world does not guarantee a leader. Clarke would be a good candidate, especially since her mother endowed her with medical knowledge. A valuable skill for surviving.

Jaha's voice continued. "_The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within the mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years."_

The teens' attention drifted from the monitors to a boy who had released himself from his seat belt and was floating in the air. A dangerous idea that could kill him once the dropship reentered Earth's atmosphere. Unfortunately, others thought it looked fun and soon followed suit.

The parachutes deployed and the floating boys were forced against the steel walls. The shaking increased and Skuld knew at this point that this was a critical moment. The retrorockets needed to activate now or the dropship would crash land.

When all seemed lost, it seemed as if the rockets kicked in at the last moment, allowing for a safe albeit rough landing. All systems completely shut down and from the look of it, Skuld knew that aside from the wristbands that the delinquents were wearing, there was no communication between Earth and the Ark. This made their mission here that much more difficult.

The kids unbuckled themselves, excited to rush down to the lower level and see the surface. Skuld took her time, examining the boys who had released themselves from their safety buckles prior to landing. The "spacewalker", who Skuld identified as Finn based on his profile, had a look of guilt on his face.

"At least their deaths were painless," Skuld tried to comfort the teen, although she sensed it's lack of success. "No suffering from what I can tell. Although my knowledge in the medical field is minimal compared to Clarke's."

"It's my fault," he said glumly. "They followed because I did it first."

"If you wish to take responsibility, my advice is this: remember them and use this experience to improve future decisions."

"Yeah. I will. I'm Finn." He finally introduced himself even though Skuld already knew this.

"I'm Skuld," she shared. "But most just stick with Skull."

"Skull, that's a cool name."

"Easier to remember for most. Although, I think the nickname came from the fact that I have a perfect memory."

Finn laughed and Skuld smiled. "Do you really? Prove it to me!"

"How? I mean, I guess I can recite lines from books or something, but I think that would just put you to sleep," Skuld countered jokingly.

"That's probably true," he agreed before finally getting up from overlooking the bodies. Everyone had moved to the lower level at this point aside from him and Skuld. He offered his hand to help her up as well, which she graciously took. "Man, my memory must be shit. I can't remember seeing you around before in the Skybox."

Skuld laughed. "It's not your memory. I was never a prisoner. Just someone who wanted to come along for the ride."

The two climbed down and witnessed Clarke arguing with a young man about releasing the lock. "If the air is toxic, then we're all dead anyway," he argued. Skuld agreed to an extent. It was now or never. However, what bothered Skuld more was that the voice belonged to someone who wasn't a part of the 100. Prior to boarding, Skuld had read over every file of each criminal.

The tall dark-haired young man was clearly older than 18. Probably closer to her own age of early twenties. He was wearing a guard uniform, but Skuld knew he was no guard. She had seen that face before. It was none other than Bellamy Blake, a prior cadet-in-training now janitor. But she put it together immediately as to why he had snuck on. She didn't know how, but she knew why.

"Bellamy?" A female voice questioned, verifying if it was indeed the person she believed it to be. Sixteen-year-old Octavia Blake came forward toward her brother. Yes, Bellamy was here for one reason: his younger sister Octavia.

Everyone knew it was illegal to have more than one child on the Ark. Skuld had remembered when it happened. Octavia had been hidden from the Ark for fifteen years until being caught. Her mother was floated and she was locked in the Skybox simply for being born.

"My god, look how big you are," Bellamy said, his face full of pride and elation to be reunited with his sister. Skuld knew that feeling well. The siblings shared a tight embrace before being interrupted by Clarke.

"Where's your wristband?" She questioned the older sibling.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year," Octavia responded in irritation.

The whispers flew across the room. The girl who hid under the floor. She looked ready to attack, but Bellamy held her back. "Octavia. Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by," he said with a smirk.

"Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in 100 years." With his suggestion, Bellamy released the hatch and the doors opened. A warm and bright light flooded the room and everyone gasped at the sight. It was stunning and completely green. It was full of life, unlike the cold walls of the Ark.

Octavia took her steps slowly, hesitantly. Her feet submerged in the dirt, getting used to the uneven ground. It was a sight Skuld would never forget. It was a memory Skuld wanted to cherish. At long last, the young teen shouted, "We're back, bitches!" Everyone followed in a flurry, ready to embrace a new life on Earth.

Skuld tried to ignore the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Instead, she focused her attention on searching for one prisoner in particular. The person she came here for.

* * *

_Where was he?_ She knew he was supposed to be here. Skuld was worried when she didn't find him right away. While it had been four years since she had last physically seen him, she had read his file several times. She suddenly felt nervous. What was she going to say when she finally saw him? Had he missed her at all?

Meanwhile, Clarke and Wells were analyzing a map of the area, trying to get their bearings. It was obvious they had not arrived at Mount Weather as Jaha promised, but that could have been a result of the system malfunction. But Skuld was proud to see Clarke taking initiative and thinking about the situation logically. _She will definitely make a great leader_, Skuld confirmed.

Skuld decided that while finding him was important, surviving was the priority. And to survive, they needed food and water. Mount Weather was their only known source, making it the best option. It's not like anyone knew how to hunt or if there was even anything to hunt at all.

She approached the teens and greeted them carefully.

"Skuld!?" Clarke looked shocked to see here, but also pleased. "What are you doing here?"

"When I heard that they were planning on sending you down, I felt the need to join you all. On unofficial recordkeeping business." She smiled and the two girls hugged. Both of them knew that they needed each other to increase their odds of survival.

"Well I suddenly feel much better knowing you're here. Let me show you the map-"

Clarke was interrupted when a boy approached her casually. "Oh cool, a map. They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer," he attempted to flirt. Clarke looked unimpressed, Skuld giggled, and Wells was furious. He pushed the boy away, giving him a nasty glare.

"You mind?"

"Hey, hey, hey," A voice interrupted with a group of boys following their leader. "Hands off of him. He's with us." He tried to sound menacing, but when Skuld looked over, her face grew into one of happiness.

"John!" Skuld exclaimed before rushing over to him and hugging him tightly. Yes, the person Skuld was so desperate to find was none other than John Murphy. John seemed caught off-guard and almost embarrassed until he recognized the girl who was embracing him. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Skull!? What are you doing here?" He didn't return the hug, but his voice sounded pleased at learning that it was her.

She released him from her grip. "I know, I know. No hugging," Skuld smiled. "But I just couldn't help myself! You're safe and you've become so handsome! You were so small when I saw you last."

"Stop it," he almost hissed. The way Skuld was cooing over him made him feel embarrassed and weak, a feeling he hated. Skuld, remembering that he was seventeen and not thirteen anymore, apologized.

"Right. My bad. I'm just glad I get to see you again."

"Same, Skull," John admitted before returning his attention back to Wells. He clearly had a grudge against the Chancellor's son, as did most of the kids here. Many were angry at Jaha and they had no reason to like his son.

"We're just trying to figure out where we are," Wells attempted to explain calmly.

"We're on the ground. That not good enough for you?" Bellamy interrupted. It seemed to Skuld he had quickly fallen into a leadership role among the majority of the teens. It made sense to an extent. He was older and wearing a guard's uniform, which gave him some authority. At least until they realized he wasn't actually a guard.

"We need to find Mount Weather," Wells persisted, attempting to persuade the majority. "You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority."

"Screw your father." Octavia countered. "What, you think you're in charge here, you and your little princess?"

Skuld understood that Octavia was angry by Wells mentioning his father. The same person who locked her up. For locking all of these teens up for doing mainly minor crimes. They were just kids after all.

"Do you think we care who's in charge? We need to get to Mount Weather. Not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a 20-mile trek, ok? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave now."

Skuld agreed with Clarke, but one glance at John and she knew that he did not. Not many of these kids seemed to understand the perilous situation they were in. Bellamy smirked. "I've got a better idea. You two go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." The others cheered in agreement.

Skuld placed her hand on Clarke's shoulder as a sign of comfort. Arguing wouldn't solve anything and she silently let the younger girl know that no one could force them to go if they didn't want to.

Wells tried to convince them otherwise, but John pushed Wells out. "Look at this, everybody-the Chancellor of Earth." John taunted as others snickered at his remark.

"Think that's funny?" Wells replied, not backing down. John showed no hesitation kicking Wells down. Clarke shouted in concern and Skuld was shocked at John's violence. The boy she remembered was angry and lonely, but not a bully. Could he have changed that much since being locked up?

Wells forced himself up despite his leg injury, prepared to fight back. John got into a fighting stance, ready to attack until Finn jumped in between the two. "Kid has got one leg. Why don't you wait until it's a fair fight?" Finn remarked, forcing John to back off.

Octavia took this as a moment for herself. "Hey spacewalker, rescue me next," she flirted. Skuld coughed, holding back a laugh and grinned at the sight of a furious and protective older brother. He quickly pulled her aside and told her something private.

If Bellamy and Clarke could put aside their differences, they would make a great team. Both of them had leadership qualities. One was logical and the other followed their heart. Skuld knew that both sides were necessary for survival. But how do you make the head and the heart agree?

Once Octavia parted from her brother, she approached the dark-haired man. He looked at her with confusion, as if he was trying to recognize her. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

Skuld smiled but ignored the question. "I can see that you are willing to sacrifice everything for her," she commented.

"She's my sister," he said as if that explained everything. And for her, it made perfect sense.

"I don't know how you managed to sneak onto the ship, but you must have had help from someone pretty high up. You're a janitor wearing guard's clothing. I won't ask what you did or who helped you, but in exchange, I want your help."

He furrowed his brows. "How did you know-" his eyes widened in realization. "You're a goddamn recordkeeper. I knew I've seen you before."

"Indeed. I became a recordkeeper because I remember everything that happens, both past and current. But I'm not here because of that. I'm here to protect someone I love, just like you. I can see that they follow you. You're a natural leader. And I need someone who will lead these kids to safety, not to their deaths."

"I'm not in charge," he denied. "They can do whatever the hell they want."

"If you truly want to protect your sister, you need to lead her and the rest of the flock to safety."

"What's in this for you? Why don't you lead them?"

"I told you, I'm here to protect someone I love. But I'm not leadership material. The person I care about won't even let me hug him. He would never listen to my advice. I could never be a leader, not like you and Clarke."

"You want me to work with the princess? You're out of your mind!"

Skuld sighed. "You love your sister. So I'm hoping that you'll see that what's best for her is you and Clarke working together to protect everyone."

"Sorry, but not interested. I can protect Octavia without your help."

"What if I could offer you immunity from any punishment or crime?"

"You can't promise that."

"I can. As a recordkeeper, I have high clearance and sway with the Council. I don't know what you did to get here, but whatever it was must have been illegal and dangerous. But if I testify that you were responsible for keeping these kids safe, they will pardon anything you may have done."

"Not everything."

"You could have killed someone and I could make you look like a saint."

Bellamy looked shocked, but seemed convinced. "Okay, fine. I lead. You testify. On one condition."

"And that is?"

"I won't work with Clarke. And you have to do everything I say as my second-in-charge."

"That's two conditions. But fine. I think you'll change your mind soon enough anyway."

"What's your name, recordkeeper?"

"You can just call me Skull."


	2. 002 - DEMONS

Aside from Clarke, a few of the teens had volunteered to journey with her to Mount Weather including Finn, Jasper, Monty, and Octavia (to Bellamy's annoyance). Skuld had also volunteered as her knowledge about Earth was extensive. She knew a little of everything.

It didn't take long for the kids to focus less on the mission and more about enjoying their time on Earth. Finn flirtatiously placed a flower in Octavia's hair and the two boys who appeared to be close friends, commented on it.

"Now that, my friend, is game," said Jasper, the one wearing goggles.

"That, my friend, is poison sumac," replied Monty.

Octavia, hearing the word 'poison' quickly brushed the flower out of her hair. Skuld couldn't help but laugh. Monty was correct, but poison sumac wasn't actually poisonous at all, which Monty explained as he took a bite.

"His family grows all the pharmaceuticals on the Ark," Jasper explained to the group. Clarke, irritated that the teens were failing to keep up, urged them to quicken their pace.

"Come on, Clarke, how do you block all this out?" Finn asked. Skuld had always known Clarke to be the logical one. The one who always focused on the goals ahead.

"It's simple. I wonder, 'Why haven't we seen any animals?' Maybe it's because there are none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us. Sure is pretty though." With that, Clarke turned around and continued forward.

"Don't take it personally, Finn," Skuld said. "She's like her mother that way. Always one to put everyone else first."

"Someone should slip her some poison sumac," Octavia suggested jokingly.

"She's right though. Scientists on the Ark predicted it would take another one hundred years for Earth to be habitable again. The odds aren't exactly in our favor," Skuld reminded them gently. "And if we don't find food, radiation won't be our only problem."

Finn changed topics suddenly. "I got to know what you two did to get busted," he said, referring to Jasper and Monty.

"Stealing limited resources," Skuld said suddenly without thinking. They all turned to her in shock.

"How did you know that?" Monty asked in confusion.

"When I first learned that they were sending the prisoners to the ground, I reviewed all of your files. Wanted to know who I would be joining. As recordkeeper, I had high clearance to just about all information on the Ark, including files on everyone who was registered." She explained casually.

"So you remember everything about all of us?" Jasper asked, jaw dropping.

"I have a perfect memory," she supplied. "Anything that was listed on your file, I remember. Birthday, family, occupation, et cetera."

Finn whistled, impressed.

Jasper focused his attention to Octavia. "How about you, Octavia? What's they get you for?"

She paused, before replying, "Being born." She quickly walked ahead, distancing herself from the rest.

"That is so not game," Monty told Jasper.

Skuld sighed. "Many crimes should not be crimes at all."

Up ahead, Clarke was crouched, staring at something from a distance. She held her fingers to her lips, signaling them to be quiet. She had a smile on her face, amazed by the creature in front of her.

Skuld held her breath at the sight. A deer. A living, breathing deer. She had read about them. About many of Earth's creatures. She never believed she would be given the chance to see them in the living flesh.

Finn took a small step, but cracked a branch. The deer, now alerted of their presence, turned to face the group. Their admiration quickly turned to one of horror as the deer revealed its mutated face before running away.

Once the deer had disappeared, the group shared a look of fear and disbelief. Clarke, swallowing her fear, looked at the map and continued toward the mountain. Silently, the group followed.

Some time passed and the conversation resumed. "You know what I would like to know? Why send us down after 97 years? What changed?"

Skuld looked at Clarke, the person who could explain, but remained silent. Perhaps it was better if the blonde told them what she had been locked in solitary for a year for.

"Who cares? I'm just glad they did," Octavia responded with a rebellious attitude. "I woke up rotting in a cell and now I'm spinning in a forest."

"Maybe they found something on a satellite-" Monty suggested before Clarke stopped and interrupted.

"It wasn't a satellite. The Ark is dying," Clarke sighed. "At the current population level, there's roughly three months left of life support, maybe four now that we're gone."

"So that was the secret they locked you up to keep? Why they kept you in solitary, floated your old man?" Finn asked.

"My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw. He thought the people had a right to know. The Council disagreed. My mother disagreed. They were afraid it would cause a panic. We were going to go public anyway, when Wells-" she stopped, unable to finish.

"What? Turned in your dad?"

"Anyway, the guard showed up before we could. That's why today. That's why it was worth the risk. Even if we all die, at least they bought themselves more time."

"They don't have time," Skuld finally interrupted. "At least, not enough. They believe the engineers can fix the system in approximately six months. The Council has initiated a procedure for a culling. Three hundred more people will approximately die in order to get enough time to attempt to fix an un-fixable problem."

"How do you know that?" Clarke asked.

"I read over the reports every week to keep everything recorded. In several meetings, the culling has been mentioned. If we cannot prove Earth is survivable, it will be brought to a vote. As far as I know, your mother has been the only one who expressed her disagreement for the plan."

"Good, after what they did to me, I say, float them all."

"It won't be essential personnel that gets floated," Skuld said, anger present. "It will be your people, Octavia. The children who never got a chance to live. The elderly who are living on borrowed time. The folks who never seem to have enough rations to live on. It won't be the Chancellor. Or the Guard. It will be people like your mother."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother," Octavia hissed back. "She's dead because of people like _you_."

"I have no control over the law. I never agreed to it. Never supported it. Never advocated for it. I simply record it. I became a recordkeeper because I never want to forget the cruelty that humanity inflicts upon itself. Only when we forget will we be doomed to repeat our mistakes," Skuld finished darkly. "In the end, it is only from our mistakes will we learn to be better. And for the record," she added, "I was the one who petitioned against the floating of your brother."

"Wait," Octavia frowned in confusion, "What do you mean that-" Skuld continued onward, ignoring her question. Skuld could never understand one thing about humanity. Why were humans so driven to kill each other? Did they not understand they were the same? That no life was worth more than their own?

Skuld came to a halt when she saw a thing of beauty: a fresh, running river. The sound of water against the rocks was soothing and almost made her forget her anger. She got as close as she could without touching it. She crouched and brought her fingers to the surface, letting the coolness brush her skin.

Without warning, Octavia undressed herself and jumped into the river with no fear. The others, especially the boys, stared with interest, even Clarke. Although the blonde's expression turned to one of concern.

"There isn't supposed to be a river here," she said weakly.

"Well there is, so take off your goddamn clothes," Finn said with a smile.

Suddenly, Jasper shouted, "Octavia, get out of the water! Get out of the water now!" Alert, Skuld looked beyond the young Blake to see a creature swimming towards her. Unable to heed the warning in time, Octavia was quickly dragged beneath the surface.

"Quick, help me distract it!" Clarke ordered as she tried to push a large rock into the river. The boys helped her while Skuld watched the water to see where the creature was taking the girl. She ran with it along the edge, ready to dive in when the creature was distracted.

With a sudden splash, the rock grabbed the creature's attention and let Octavia go. She girl struggled to stay afloat. With no hesitation, both Skuld and Jasper jumped in and helped bring Octavia back to shore. They barely made it back as the water creature returned its attention to the three of them. Once they were on the ground, however, they were safe from the monster.

"Thank you… both of you," Octavia breathed out, taking in as much air as possible. She hugged Jasper tightly. "You saved my life."

"Note to self-next time, save the girl." Monty smiled at Jasper who laughed in return.

Clarke readily addressed Octavia's wound.

"It's getting dark. We should rest for the night and continue in the morning," Skuld suggested and the others eagerly agreed. Skuld forced herself up and walked back into the woods. "I'm going to get some wood to start a fire."

After Octavia was able to walk again, she followed her savior, wanted to talk with the one they called Skull.

"Skull?" She asked, trying to get her attention.

"Over here," the woman replied as she lifted some branches into a pile. She glanced over at Octavia and nodded in approval. "Clarke definitely knows what she's doing," she said, referring to the bandaged wound.

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you and Jasper, I might be dead."

Skuld shrugged.

"I want to apologize about what I said. I was wrong. It wasn't people like you that killed my mom."

Skuld sighed wearily. "No, you were right. It was people like me. I stood by and did nothing. Not just your mom, but plenty of people who just wanted to live. For their loved ones to live. In the last two years of being recordkeeper, I saw forty-nine people floated. And I remember every single one of them. Forty-nine souls who had families. And I did nothing but watch. I may not have pulled the lever, but did nothing to stop them. That makes me as much as a killer as the Chancellor himself."

Octavia was silent for a moment, thinking about her next words. "About my brother, what do you mean that you petitioned against him being floated?"

"The Council was determining if he should be floated as well. He helped keep the secret. In general, the Council will rule in favor of anyone who assists in breaking the law. As a recordkeeper, I attend every meeting, every trial in order to record the outcome. In certain circumstances, I am able to present the Council with previous trial records to help them reach a decision. I was sure they were going to rule in favor of floating him until I released a previous record of the last elder sibling's sentence."

"You mean of another case where someone had more than one child?"

"Yes. You were hidden for 15 years, but that wasn't the first or longest time someone had hidden a second child. In that case, the elder sibling was also floated for knowing the truth and not reporting it."

"How would that have helped Bellamy then?"

"It wouldn't have. But I falsified the report and made it appear that the sibling was deemed a victim as well, not a criminal. I showed the Council the report and they determined that since historically the elder sibling survived that Bellamy could also be given the same sentence."

"You broke the law, for him? Why would you help him? Did you know him previously?"

"I broke the law for myself. You see, Octavia, the truth of the matter is, Bellamy isn't the only one who had a younger sibling. Just like him, I too came down to protect my brother. The funny part is that he doesn't even know I'm his sister."

"Who is it?"

"If I tell you, will you promise not to mention this anyone else? Especially not Bellamy."

"Yeah. It's the least I could do for keeping him alive."

"It's John. John Murphy."


	3. 003 - NATURAL

_SEVEN YEARS AGO_

Skuld was the first to admit she didn't have many friends. The majority of others her age considered her the "weirdo". She didn't mind so much. Her father had taught her that it wasn't a reflection of herself, but a reflection of their own characteristics if they didn't see how amazing she was.

When she wasn't in school, Skuld spent a majority of her time in the archives, studying the history of humanity. She was a quick learner due to her inability to forget anything and she found the events of the past far more interesting than anything children her own age had to say.

Her father, Leo Corvus, loved hearing about what Skuld read about. Or rather, he just loved listening to her passionately talk about moments of time as if she lived them herself. He was a simple man who worked on the farms that was completely dedicated to his wife and child.

But suddenly, Skuld's sense of "normal" shattered when her mother came home one day sobbing. She didn't understand why her mother was so upset.

"What's wrong?" She asked, always one for the direct approach.

Her mother looked at her. Really looked at her as if she was searching for something that wasn't quite there. Her eyes watered and she sobbed even harder than before. Her father, deeply concerned by his upset wife, rubbed her back in circles, asking in whispers what happened.

"He was floated…" Her mother finally admitted. "Alex was floated," she said.

Leo froze in that moment, unsure of what to say.

"Who's Alex, Mom?" Skuld asked innocently. "Why was he floated?"

Her mother sniffed, trying to calm herself. "He was an old friend of mine," she admitted. "And he was floated for trying to save his son, John, apparently. He was really sick and needed medicine so he took it without permission."

"They killed him because he wanted to save his son?" Skuld repeated, shocked at the Ark's cruelty.

Her mother nodded weakly.

"How come I've never met him or his son if he's your friend?"

"Honey, maybe it's time we told her. She's thirteen. She's old enough," Leo finally spoke.

"Told me what? What's going on?"

"Are you sure, Leo?"

Leo kissed his wife's temple lovingly. "It doesn't change how much I love you or Skuld."

"I repeat my question. What's going on?"

"Skuld, there's something I need to tell you. And you mustn't say a word of this to anyone. If someone were to find out, the consequences would be _deadly_." Her mother emphasized firmly.

"You broke a law," Skuld concluded.

Victoria nodded. "The truth of the matter is… Leo isn't your birth father."

She let the moment sink in for her daughter. Skuld stared blankly trying comprehend the meaning behind it.

"Then… then who is?" Skuld finally asked.

"Before I married your father, I had an affair with another man. Someone who was already married to someone else. But when I became pregnant with you, I knew that if the truth came to light that I would be ruining several people's lives. Leo and I, well, we were best friends and I confided in him. He offered to marry me and say the child was his."

"So who is it… is it this 'Alex' person?" Skuld guessed.

Victoria smiled weakly. "You caught on. Bright girl. Yes, your birth father is a man named Alex Murphy."

"But Alex was floated for trying to save his son… So that means…"

"Yes," Victoria finished for her. "You have a younger brother."

Silence filled the room and the words repeated in Skuld's head on repeat. _You have a younger brother_. Skuld frowned. She wasn't mad, not at her parents. She was upset at the laws of the Ark. A second child was illegal and if anyone knew the truth, an innocent child would be punished for it.

"I want to meet him," Skuld finally said. "I want to know my brother."

The two parents shared a look of concern.

"Honey, you cannot say anything to him," her father warned.

"_I know_," Skuld replied. "But he's family. And he's just lost his father. I don't want him to be alone." With that, Skuld rushed out to find a sickly boy named John Murphy.

_THE PRESENT_

The following morning, the group decided the safest way across the river would be to use a rope. Using braided branches, they formed a rope strong enough to carry a person across. Finn volunteered to go first, but at the last second, Jasper insisted he take the lead.

"Knew there was a badass in there somewhere," Finn commented before handing him vine.

"See you on the other side," Jasper laughed, a slight sense of fear in his tone, before taking off into the great unknown. He landed safely, much to the shock of everyone. He smiled before shouting, "We are apogee!"

The other teens cheered and Skuld laughed with a smile. They had arrived on Earth under dire circumstances, but perhaps, Skuld thought, it was moments like these that make Earth worth it.

Clarke was about to go next until everything froze. At startling accuracy and distance, a spear had pierced Jasper right into his chest. Skuld turned around, searching for the person that launched it. They must be in the trees, she calculated.

"Jasper!" They all screamed. Finn pulled Clarke away and Octavia forcibly grabbed Skuld to hide. The sound of the movement could be heard in the trees.

"We are not alone," Clarke said, terrified.

"We need to get out of here," Finn said. The others nodded.

"What about Jasper?" Clarked asked frantically.

"We need to get to safety first," Skuld replied, scanning the movement. "We should head back to the dropship."

"But they could follow us back," Clarke argued.

"Chances are they've been watching us since we got here. It won't matter, but we are better in numbers," Skuld explained.

With the adrenaline pumping in their veins, the group raced back to camp, praying that whoever was out there wasn't going to kill them. They didn't stop until they heard an ear-wrenching scream.

"Jasper," Clarked breathed. "He's alive." She raced back until Finn stopped her. Jasper was no longer where he had been speared.

"They took him," Skuld said. "We need to head back now."

The others nodded and they hurried their way back to the dropship.

Skuld was stunned to see that by the time they got back to camp, Wells had a knife to John's throat.

"Wells!" Clarke admonished.

Skuld wasted no time and pushed Wells off of her brother. "Are you okay?" She asked John, noticing the blood on his face.

"I'm fine," John replied angrily. She didn't know if the anger was toward her for acting motherly or to Wells, who had beat him.

John tried to launch himself at Wells again until Bellamy stepped in. "Enough, Murphy." Bellamy released John immediately when he noticed Octavia's condition.

"Octavia. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said with a wince of pain.

"Where's the food?" He asked, glaring at Clarke.

Finn sighed. "We didn't make it to Mount Weather."

"What the hell happened out there?" Bellamy looked furious and Skuld knew it was due to Octavia's injury.

"We were attacked," Clarke began suddenly.

"By what?" Wells asked.

"Not what, but who," Finn emphasized. "It turns out when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last grounder."

"Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong."

"Not everything," Skuld whispered to herself.

"There are people here, survivors." Clarke continued. "The good news is that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us."

Wells finally put two and two together. "Where's the kid with the goggles?"

"They took him," Skuld replied bitterly. "Speared him and then took him." She glanced at some of the kids and noticed something strange. "Where are your wristbands?" She asked, hesitantly.

Clarke glared at Bellamy. "How many?"

"24 and counting," John said with a smug look.

Skuld's eyes widened. "John! What were you thinking?"

He glared at the older woman. "We don't want them. They don't deserve to come down."

Skuld's mind clicked. Everything made sense to her. Why John was so angry. He was still bitter about his father. Her eyes softened into concern. "John, you can't blame everyone for what happened to your father."

"How dare you!" He screamed at her. "You should know better than everyone else. You, who was by my side until the moment I got locked up. You, who abandoned me and decided to become a recordkeeper and work for _them_." He said it with such distaste and frustration and Skuld wanted to cry.

She tried to reach out to him but he pushed her away. "Don't you dare." He stomped off and Skuld sighed. She glanced at Octavia who gave her a look of comfort.

"You idiots," Clarke said. "Life support on the Ark is 's why they brought us down here. They need to know that Earth is survivable again and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them. You're killing _us_, too."

Bellamy rolled his eyes. "We're stronger than you think," he countered. "Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm? That makes you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore. They'll say they will forgive your crimes. I say you're not criminals. You're fighters, survivors! The grounders should worry about us." The others cheered and Clarke stormed off, knowing that she wouldn't be heard. Monty followed.

"You think this will keep them safe?" Skuld asked Bellamy.

"I think that they are stronger than they think. Than you think."

"It's not about strength. It's about staying alive. Surviving. We need the Ark in order to do that."

"You want me to lead? Then let me lead."

After the argument, Bellamy focused his attention on Octavia, caring for her wound.

"Let me," Skuld offered. She focused on redressing her wound.

"What the hell was it?" Bellamy asked.

"The others said it looked like a giant snake," Octavia replied.

"You could've been killed."

"I didn't. And that was thanks to Skull and Jasper. They rescued me," she explained, giving Skuld a heartfelt sign of gratitude. Skuld smiled in response.

Clarke approached them suddenly.

"You guys leaving?" Octavia asked. "I'm coming too," she said as she tried to stand up. Skuld looked at her leg and she knew that it would only encumber the rescue mission.

"No," Bellamy and Skuld said at the same time. They shared a look.

"They're right. Your leg would just slow us down." Clarke said. She faced Bellamy. "I'm here for you. I hear you have a gun."

Bellamy silently lifted his shirt, revealing the gun tucked in his jeans.

"Good. Come with me."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you want them to follow you. And right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared."

"You owe it to Clarke and Jasper. They helped save your sister," Skuld added.

"Will you come too?" Clarke asked Skuld.

She nodded. "I might be able to learn more about the grounders."

"Murphy," Bellamy ordered. "Come with me. Atom? My sister doesn't leave this camp. Is that clear?"

"I don't need a babysitter," Octavia mumbled.

"No, but it would be good to make sure that the wound doesn't get infected." Skuld said. She turned to Atom and explained how to watch over the wound.

"Anybody touches her, they answer to me," Bellamy threatened. "Let's go."


End file.
